LEXINGTON, Ky. - The United State Marine Corps (USMC) and the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced on Monday, June 20 that 1,313 teams have earned the USMC/AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2019-2020 season, topping last year's record by almost 200 teams. 232 programs received Team Academic honors for the first time in 2020. The Lake Superior State women's volleyball team qualified for the honor for the first time under current head coach, Dave Schmidlin.
"Coaches have the most influence during difficult times," said AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer. "Keeping student-athletes focused on their academic success when their volleyball identity was suddenly gone is leadership worth celebrating!"
The award, initiated in the 1992-93 academic year, honors volleyball teams that maintain a year-long grade-point average of 3.30 on a 4.0 scale or 4.10 on a 5.0 scale.
In terms of USMC/AVCA Team Academic Award winners by subgroup, girls high school led the way with 461 recipients. In all three NCAA Women's Divisions, over 50% of the membership won the award, led by 68% in DI, 57% in DII and 53% in DIII. In the emerging sport of beach volleyball, 49% of teams won the award and in the fastest growing sector of Collegiate Men, 38 schools were honored, doubling the number from the previous year.
The AVCA is proud to recognize five 2019 National Championship winners that also excelled in the classroom: Stanford University (NCAA Division I), Cal State San Bernardino (NCAA Division II), Johns Hopkins University (NCAA DIII), Marian University (NAIA Women), and Scottsdale (NJCAA DII).
Additionally, schools that reached their Dig Pink® fundraising goals through the Side-Out Foundation will continue to be honored. Dig Pink® is a nationwide movement to provide meaningful and impactful experiences for athletes while inspiring and empowering them to come together in support of the stage IV breast cancer community. Each year, hundreds of teams across the country (and some overseas) participate in the Dig Pink® Rally.
You can find 2019-20's full list of USMC/AVCA Team Academic Award recipients by clicking here.
You can find the Team Academic All-Time Record Book by clicking here.
Click here for award history and more stats from the 2019-2020 USMC/AVCA Team Academic Awards.
About the United States Marine Corps
Service in the Marine Corps is a noble path and demanding journey reserved for those with the willingness to engage and the determination to exceed all mental, moral and physical requirements to become Marines.
The Marine Corps engages in national partnerships that provide valuable opportunities to spread public awareness of the Marine Corps' purpose by connecting the brand to those communities it serves. The relationships established between the Corps and our nation's athletic communities ensure our message of aspirational service resonates with coaches, athletes and their influencers.
The 2020 United States Marine Corp partnership with AVCA has been developed to engage with key publics that are integral to meeting recruiting objectives. The United States Marine Corps looks forward to building enduring relationships with the AVCA member community and lending our support to those coaches and athletic facilitators who help young Americans win battles every day.
About AVCA
The AVCA, with its headquarters in Lexington, Ky., is managed by Associations International. The mission of the AVCA is to advance the sport of volleyball with AVCA coaches at the epicenter of leadership, advocacy and professional development. With a membership of over 8,000 and counting, the AVCA provides a professional network for those individuals and companies dedicated to enhancing and promoting the sport. Members include collegiate, high school, club, youth and Olympic coaches, as well as volleyball club directors. The AVCA provides education to volleyball coaches, recognition of elite players and coaches, promotion of volleyball competitions throughout the world, and networking opportunities for volleyball products and services providers. Further information is available at www.avca.org.